The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned advertisements of apparel brands, Calvin Klein, Adidas and Uniqlo, which promoted clothing and shoes under the guise of recycled.
These advertisements were banned by the UK regulator after the brands were not able to substantiate claims of products being produced from recycled goods.
Each of these brands ran paid Google advertisements with Calvin Klein promoting recycled tops for women; Uniqlo advertised jackets and fleece coats made from recycled materials, while Adidas promoted recycled running shoes.
According to Uniqlo, consumers were likely to understand from its advertisement that the products were made to a meaningful extent from recycled materials.
The Japanese clothing retailer also added that its claims were supported by an international certification scheme.
Calvin Klein said certain products in its women’s t-shirts and tops range included environmentally preferred materials, including recycled, organic and other materials.
Calvin Klein also said that it would not be reasonable for consumers to interpret its advertisements as claims applied to the entire range.
ASA was of the opinion that in case of each brand, the use of the term recycled would lead consumers to believe that the products were made fully from recycled materials.
The agency also stated that if such absolute environmental claims are made in the advertisements then they must be supported by a high level of substantiation.
“It’s important that people can trust the environmental claims they see in advertisements,” Miles Lockwood, ASA Director of Complaints and Investigations informed.
“When absolute terms like recycled are used, the basis of those claims should be clearly explained and properly supported by evidence. Without that, there’s a risk that people could be misled,” he too added.
